Mystery Picture #57

P. Lucas, University of Kentucky Entomology

R. Bessin, University of Kentucky Entomology

Novice

Expert

Novice

The Garden Spider (Areneus sp.)gets its name because people often find its large web in their backyard fruit and vegetable gardens. These spiders usually build their webs a few feet off of the ground between plants to catch insects that fly past. Garden spiders weave a distinct "zigzag" shape in the center of their webs. Another common name is the Writing Spider probably because someone thought the thickened web strands looked like some kind of writing.

The yellow and black garden spider is one of the largest spiders in our area, sometimes close to 2 inches in length (and that's not including the legs!). Despite their formidable appearance, garden spiders are not considered dangerous (although people can develop allergic reactions to the bite of this spider, as with all biting and stinging insects and spiders).

Expert

The Robber Fly is an expert hunter that can snatch bees and other small insects right out of the air. It can also give you a nasty bite. If you were to portray the robber fly as a cartoon character, you might draw it wearing a mask and waving a gun! (Note: This was a hint to help you guess its name!)

Robber flies are voracious predatory insects. Most species rest on leaves and branches in bright sunlight, waiting for small insects to fly past, which they capture on the wing. Robber flies have been known to bite people as well.

Robber flies are often quite large, over an inch in length, with long, insect-snatching legs. Their large eyes help them to look all around for prey. There are many robber fly species in our area. Some are black and hairy, like the one pictured, while others are orange and nearly bare.

Robber flies are common summer insects, and are found in weedy areas that receive lots of sunlight.